


Temptation Will Take Over

by addy



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), Jonas Brothers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-05-14
Updated: 2011-09-11
Packaged: 2017-10-19 09:23:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/199331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addy/pseuds/addy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe was starting on his new album, and everything seemed to go wrong so fast. No one wants to duet with him because he was affiliated with the Disney Channel. One morning, he heard "Whataya Want From Me" on his car radio and it intrigued him....but scared him at the same time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Duet

The flash of the shark-like cameras interrupted my thoughts. Reporters and paparazzi hounded me, asking me questions about my solo album, whether or not the Jonas Brothers were still a band, and more personal questions about my love life. I mustered a smile, and quickly answered the questions with short, to-the-point answers, hoping it would get them off of my back. Of course, that plan failed. What is the use? And to think, all I was trying to do was get to my car. I had a recording session for my new album, and was on my way. Because of these photographic and information vampires, I was going to be late. And my manager was not going to be happy about that.

I wave at the cameras, still smiling a small smile, trying to keep my current mood calm, hiding my anxiety. I turned away from the cameras, put my keys into the ignition, and drove away quickly. I could still hear the clicks of their cameras in my mind, and their prying questions. Why do they need to know everything about my life? This is the price of fame, I guess. Which sucks most of the time.

I sighed and kept driving, glancing slightly at the billboards as I pass them out of sheer curiosity. Getting bored, I clicked on the radio. There popped up the voice of Ryan Seacrest. Nick must have borrowed my car. He loves listening to this type of music. As I start to try and change the channel, something caught my attention.

=Next up on the countdown, at number 2 is “Whataya Want From Me, by the Grammy Nominee, Adam Lambert.=

I have never heard this song, I thought to myself. I probably should keep up with music nowadays, but having to hear my ex’s songs on the radio…I try to avoid it as much as possible.

“Hey….slow it down…Whataya want from me? Whataya want from me? Yeah, I’m afraid, Whataya Want From Me? Whataya Want From Me?”

I didn’t expect to break down.

This song pulled at my heartstrings. I had to stay focused on the road, but this voice…Mr. Lambert’s voice…was entrancing and intoxicating. I haven’t heard something so beautiful in a long time.  
I reach over to the radio and turn it up. I had to hear him sing louder. Play with my heart, Mr. Lambert. I realized that my thoughts were completely insane and hurriedly turned off the radio, took a deep breath, and continued driving.

I finally arrived at my destination. I took a look at the clock: only 2 minutes to spare. At least I was on time. I opened the car door forcefully, and closed it with just as much force. I locked it with my automatic clicker, and ran into the building. When I reached security, I brushed off my coat and put on my winning smile. It was time to make some music.

“Ah, Joe! Here you are right on time,” my manager, Beth, said quickly. She gave me a small smile, and grabbed my arm, with a bit of a grip. This was how she usually acted when she was incredibly stressed.

“Hey, is everything okay?” I said as we were walking at a pace that felt like we were working out. She stopped in the middle of the narrow hallway, looked both ways to make sure no one was watching, and lowered her voice.

“Not particularly, Joseph.” She looked at me fiercely. “You know that duet you wanted to do so badly with a 'famous singer?'” I nodded, now knowing what has gotten her all worked up.

“He cancelled didn’t he.”

She nodded. “They don’t want their reputation tarnished. All because you were affiliated with the Disney Channel.” I looked at her, hurt.

“Well, it wasn’t my fault that Disney gave us a huge contract and I got to perform all over the world,” I said, sarcastically. “I am a real musician! Why can’t people see that?” I start to raise my voice.

“Shhhh!” Beth put her finger on my lips. “Let’s go to the studio and figure who else we can get…” She mumbled to herself as we walked further down the hallway to the recording studio. A thought went through my mind…what if I could get Adam to sing with me? I shook my head. That is ridiculous. We have different styles…even though it would be fun. I wonder what he looks like.

My thoughts started to run wild. Beth snapped her fingers in my face, bringing me back to reality.

“Joe, wake up! We have to brainstorm.” Beth motioned for me to sit in a chair in the recording studio. She waved at the other people in the studio, telling them to scram basically, since we won’t be recording today, which was a bummer. We had it to ourselves. Beth crossed her legs, took out a pad and pen, started chewing on the cap, and spewing out names. I could barely hear her. All I was thinking about was “Whataya want from me…” That song is freaking stuck in my head. Apparently, my manager caught on, because, unconsciously, I started to hum it, and she took notice.

“Are you humming Adam Lambert?” She asked, quizzical and intrigued. The tone of her voice was surprising.

“Um, maybe.” I shifted awkwardly in my chair. “It was on the radio.” She raised her eyebrow in interest.

“Hey…why don’t you sing a duet with him?” My eyes widened. I mean, yes, I thought about it. I just heard the guy sing, and now Beth is proposing the very thing I was too afraid to discuss?

“Yes! That would be so…interesting,” She caught herself, “In a good way! Two rockers with different styles…” I was shocked at this. Me? Sing with Adam Lambert? All I could judge from half of the song I listened to of his was that his voice was on a completely different level than mine.

“I really don’t think it’s a good idea,” I said, moving my eyes from each corner of the room, my anxiety growing.

“Why not? Joe, this would be a breakthrough for your music! He was on American Idol, you know. I’m surprised you don’t know about that, being in the music business and all of that.”

American Idol, huh?

“What if he bails like the other artists?” I kept trying to come up with excuses.

“Joe,” Beth said with a serious tone, “He won’t.” I could tell in her eyes that she really believed what she said. I bit my lip.

“Okay,” I said simply, “But…well…what does he look like?” Innocent question, right? I had to know who I was going after. My manager sighed, pulled out her Iphone, and opened Google. I could see her typing quickly. She put her finger to her mouth, biting her manicured nail. It looked like she had to look hard to find a good picture.

“Ah!” She said finally. “I was trying to find a recent one.” She held the phone up to me. I almost had a heart attack. He was gorgeous, and the exact opposite of me. He had dark hair that glistened in the spotlight; his eyes were a bright, bright blue, almost as if they were piercing my heart through the picture. He wore glam rocker clothing and heavy eyeliner with glitter and make-up. He also looked pretty tall. My heart fluttered. Why am I reacting like this? My manager saw my face redden and looked suspicious.

“Are you feeling okay?” She asked, genuinely concerned. I tried to catch my breath. Dear god.

“Uh…yeah. I’m fine. Just…a little hot in here.” Good cover, Joe. Good cover.

“Okay,” my manager shifted in her chair, grabbed her pad and pen, and stood up, reaching her hand out for a handshake. “Well, I will be in contact with Mr. Lambert’s people, and we’ll see what we can do.” I nod apprehensively, stand up from my chair, and shake her hand. “I’ll be in touch!” She says as she walked out of the door. “Okay,” I say quietly.

What was wrong with me? I saw one picture of him…and I suddenly feel like I have a crush, like a teenaged girl. He is so beautiful. And so is his voice. One thing is for sure; if Adam ends up singing with me, I am going to have such a hard time concentrating.


	2. Unknown Desire

I couldn’t get the image of him out of my head. His face…his voice…just everything about him. Damn. Driving away from the studio took some time. Soon as I got the courage to pull out of the parking lot, I resumed driving the speed limit, which was new for me. All I could do was think about…him.

Finally arriving home, I checked to make sure the camera sharks were nowhere in sight. Nothing… good. I would have probably said something stupid at this point. My mind is in shambles. I decided to call Nick. He always seems to know what to do.

“Hello?” Nick sounded groggy.

“Hey Nick, what’s up?” I tried to sound calmer than I was.

“I was sleeping,” He said, slurring his words together.

“Bro, it’s 2 in the afternoon.” I shake my head, get my keys out, open the door to my house, walk in, and plop on the sofa. Home sweet home.

Nick sighed. “I’m beat. I’ve been writing with so many people. Maybe I should just clone myself.”

“Haha, nice.” I said uneasily. I feel like he could sense that.

“What’s going on with you, Joe? Everything okay? You normally don’t call me unless something is wrong.”

“Eh, not really.” He didn’t need to know about my crush yet. “The singer I was supposed to duet with bailed. I’m a lone wolf once again. Thanks Disney channel!” I scream that louder than I should of.

“Would you lower your voice, dude? That went right through my head.”

“Nick, you’re acting like you have a hangover.”

“I just woke up. It’s the same thing.” I shook my head and laughed to myself. “It’s not funny,” Nick insisted.

“Haha okay man. I’ll let you go back to sleep. Sorry for bothering you.” Before he could answer I clicked the phone off. I can’t tell anyone about my foreign feelings, or that I might be singing a duet with Adam Lambert. I feel like I should research more about him. I lay there on the couch for a good 10 minutes, staring at the ceiling. I could hear my dog Winston snoring in the other room. I should rest. It’s been a long and confusing day.

I lazily got up from the couch, stepped over Winston, and went into my room. Digging around in my messy closet for my pajamas was a feat of its own. Finally grabbing some boxer shorts and a wife beater, I crawled into my soft bed. My laptop hummed loudly on my nightstand, inviting. I really did not have the strength to do some research on this Lambert guy, but what the hell.

Reaching over and grabbing my laptop, the bottom of it was fiery hot.

“Shit!” I curse, almost dropping it. I catch it quickly, almost falling off of my bed. I cannot be this lazy. Putting my feet on the cold floor, shivering a little, I take the laptop securely and glue it my lap. I started to feel uneasy, but shook it off. I opened the laptop. The light blinded me. Once my eyes were accustomed to the screen, I opened my Internet browser and put Google up. I guess I have to type his name.

“Adam….Lambert….”I said out loud while I typed. After a few seconds, all of these images popped up. My jaw dropped. The first picture showed Adam…kissing a man. He was…Joe shook his head. This cannot be real. He scrolled further down the page. All of these images had Adam either kissing men, wearing sparkles and high heels, and and/or wearing a copious amount of make-up. I bit my lip. He was fucking gorgeous. I didn’t know how to feel about that. I felt tightness in my throat.

As I kept searching, it started to become very hot in the room, even though the AC was on full blast. What is wrong with me? Why is this man making me feel like this? Without even noticing, my hand started to travel to my boxers. I caught myself before….shit.

The page I was on now had a picture of a close up on Adam’s…crotch. Reluctantly, I clicked on it. Maybe if I don’t react to him this way, I’m fine. I scoffed to myself; yeah, because I’m not reacting to him enough. The bulge grew to a big size on my screen. I thought I was going to fall off of the bed again. It was HUGE. I could barely breathe. My crotch was aching and started to hurt with….I have no idea.

Before I did anything I would regret, I slammed the laptop shut and basically threw it across the room.

“He...I can’t….” I was breathing heavily. Damn. Damn. Damn. At that moment, my phone started to vibrate violently.

“He-hello?” My voice cracked.

“Is this Joe Jonas?”

I didn’t recognize this voice. It was smooth, masculine, and with a lisp.

“Uh, yeah.” I manage to choke out. I started to walk back and forth around my room, nervous.

“Hi there! Your manager Beth gave me your number,” The voice chuckled to himself, “This is Adam Lambert.”

I tripped and dropped the phone. I could hear Adam say ‘Hello?’ ‘Hello?’ ‘Joe, are you there?’ Scrambling, I picked the phone off of the floor hurriedly.

“YES. Yes, I’m here. Sorry, uh…” I saw Winston trot in, “I tripped over my dog.” Winston cocked his head at me, as if saying, what the hell? Good line, Joe.

“You okay?” I could hear the sincere concern in his voice.

“Haha yeah,” I rub the back of my head, “It’s all good.” Adam laughed. “So, Um, Mr. Lambert…” He stopped me right there.

“Please, call me Adam.” I caught my breath.

“Adam, um, I suppose Beth talked to you about singing a duet with me?” Right upfront with the business, let’s move this conversation forward.

“Yes! She did. And I have to say…” I was waiting for the worse, “I would love to. I think you have a talent, and I dig your sound. It would be an honor.” Joe hears another voice in the background scoff. “Shut the fuck up, Tommy!” Adam screamed away from the phone. “Sorry, my friend doesn’t understand. Again, I would love to work with you.”

I couldn’t breathe.

“Joe, you still there?”

“I am. I guess I’m shocked you want to work with me.” I sounded pathetic.

“I’m not going to run because you were a Jonas Brother. Who gives a fuck? You’re talented, and that’s all that matters. I think our voices together will sound sick.” I still couldn’t breathe.

“Yeah,” was all I could muster. I somehow gained some confidence at that moment. Before I could stop myself I asked, “Hey, uh, do you want to, I don’t know…meet up before we record? You know, to get to know each other and stuff.”

A pause on the other end.

“How does Saturday sound?”

Without hesitation, I replied a little too quickly, “YES. Yes, that sounds great.”

“Okay, cool. I’ll text the details over later. It’s a date then.” Before I could speak, he hung up.

Date. That word… this is too much. I hung up the phone, threw it on the bed, and landed on my back, looking at the ceiling. Winston trotted over and licked my face. I petted him on the head, but my mind was elsewhere.

Date….date…was this a date? I don’t know for sure. But all I know is that I am going to meet Adam.

This is going to be interesting.


	3. Brothers

It felt like the days leading to Saturday were moving too slow. But as it drew nearer, I became more nervous. I even contemplated on planning my outfit for that day. It’s not a date Joe. It’s just business.

Pacing my bedroom, I kept having these thoughts swirling in my head. I shouldn’t be thinking about this right now. Tonight, Nick and Kevin are over for dinner, which has been a weekly ‘ritual’ if you were to call it that. It’s almost like ‘bro time’. I am scared to talk to them about this. Even though I usually can tell them anything.

I have been at a loss for words these past couple of days. Beth has been questioning me about Adam, and all I could say were a couple of words. She knows he said yes, which got her in a frenzy to plan everything. At least I don’t have to worry about the paperwork. I’m on the brink of insanity already. I feel like I should tell Kevin and Nick about Adam…but they wouldn’t understand. Will they?

I was interrupted from my black hole of thoughts by a knock on my bedroom door.

“Knock knock!“ Kevin said in a sing-song voice. “Time for dinner bro.” I nod, shake my head, and follow Kevin to the dinner table. Nick was putting down the last of the dishes. It looked delicious, but I still wasn’t all there.

“Joe…JOE.” Nick yelled at me. “Wake up dude. We have to say grace.” I nodded.

“Sorry.” I proceeded to verbalize a very choppy grace.

“Let us thank him for our food. Amen.” I kept my hands folded on my head longer than I should of. I could hear the clang of silverware and light chatter between Kevin and Nick. I sighed heavily, and served myself, blindly putting food on my plate. KLANG. Nick dropped his fork abruptly, creating almost an ear shattering sound.

“Joe, what is up with you? You are so freaking out of it.” Nick’s face was chiseled with worry. Kevin looked confused but had the same amount of concern.

“Yeah Joe, you have been silent most of the night. Usually you are joking around and playing with your food,” Kevin added.

“You guys are treating me like I’m 5,” I retort colder than I thought. Kevin laughs.

“Because most of the time, you act like it. You’re pouting. Aww poor Joe!” Kevin started to poke and nudge me.

“Damnit, Kevin, cut it out!” I couldn’t help but start laughing. I slapped his arm away, and we had a mock slap fight. Kevin always had a way of cheering me up. I felt a little better. Looking back at my half eaten dinner, the thoughts had subsided for a minute. I decided to savor this home cooked meal made by Nick. He was a great cook.

“So, Joe,” Nick starts, “How’s the album coming along?” I almost spit out my food. I started to choke. I grabbed the nearest glass, drank all of it, and lifted my head. Nick was looking at me, eyebrow raised.

“Does that mean it’s going badly?” I shook my head, hit my chest and cleared my throat.

“No, I mean, at first it was.” Nick’s eyebrow was still in its position. Kevin looked confused. “The artist I was going to sing with cancelled.”

“That sucks,” Nick said, his eyes still stuck on Joe “So what else?” There was nothing getting by Nick.

“Well, I found someone else to sing with.” I kept my mouth shut.

“Joe, hurry up and spit it out before its Christmastime,” Kevin added sarcastically.

“Adam Lambert.”

The room was silent. Kevin’s mouth dropped open. Nick just stared at me. I was becoming uncomfortable, shifting in my chair. Nick cleared his throat.

“I don’t know what to say about that.” Nick stroked his chin, still staring at me, as if piercing through my skin.

“Why, do you have a problem with it?” I was starting to become defensive.

“No, I don’t. It’s just…he’s so different from you. So different. And he’s…” I could tell where he was going with this.

“Gay. Yes I know.” My eyes shifted to my knee that was shaking uncontrollably. Silence. Kevin broke it,

“Well Joe, I am proud of you.” He always had something nice to say. He patted me on the back. “The track is gonna be sick!” He laughed and picked up his plate. “I’ll leave husband and wife alone.” I kicked him in the shin. “Ouch! That hurt!” He opened his mouth to be overdramatic with the ‘ouch’ and I stifled a smile. What would I do without Kevin?

Now it was a staring match between Nick and I. It was like he was trying to figure me out.

“I want to know why you picked him, of all people, to sing with you.” He was very straightforward, poker face engaged.

“Well, I listened to one of his songs, and I…uh…really liked what I heard.” He was still not convinced.

“You have a crush on him, don’t you?”

I froze. It felt like my heart was going to freeze over.

“What?” I asked, trying to sound in absolute disbelief, like it was absurd. When I knew in my heart that this was true. I didn’t want to tell them…at least not yet.

“I haven’t even met the guy yet! And you think that I have a…crush on him? I’m not…” I choke on the last word.

“Joe. It’s okay. You can tell me.”

“I don’t have a crush on him.” I stare at him, as serious as I could. Nick did not believe me, but he backed off. Kevin came back in the room, skipping almost.

“You two lovebirds done with your quarrel?” I hit Kevin on the head.

“Is that any way to talk about brothers?” Kevin smirked.

“We can be, like, brother lovers!” I laughed way too hard.

“Shut the hell up Kevin!” I chase him around the house. I was like we were young kids again. This made everyone forget about Adam. Thank God.

After chasing each other for 10 minutes, we all collapsed on my couch, exhausted, laughing with each other. Winston jumped up, trying to lick our faces.

“Aw, Joe, tame your dog!” Kevin yelled at me, slapping my face in the process. Nick was laughing for a rare moment.

“Kevin! Get a camera! Nick is actually showing emotion!”

“Oh shut up, Joe!”

Tonight went better then I expected. After rolling around for a few more minutes, pushing Winston away from giving our faces a shower, Nick and Kevin helped me clean the kitchen. Afterwards, they left, Nick patting me on the back, and Kevin giving me a brotherly hug.

“Next week! Nick’s making meatloaf!” Kevin yells to me from his car as he drives away. Nick just smirks to himself and climbs into his car.

“Bye Nick,” I say quietly, but loud enough for him to hear. Nick just nodded, started his car, and drove away, waving slightly from the car window. I watched as they left, making sure they were on the road all right, and made my way back into my house. Winston was sleeping on the couch. All of that activity tuckered him out. I was pretty tired too.

Turning off the lights in the kitchen and living room, I walked slowly to my bed, falling down on top of it, not bothering to get under the covers. All I could see was Nick’s knowing stare. That faded into those pictures of Adam floating through my head. I started to feel hot again. I turned over and got into my covers, properly. I tried to lie down, but this feeling started to grow and grow. I had to do some more ‘research.’

Grabbing my fire hot laptop from my dresser, I opened it up quickly. I hadn’t closed any of the tabs from my last ‘research’ session, so Adam’s bulge was right in front of my face. I couldn’t hide this anymore. I was turned on. And I didn’t know what to do except…that.

I looked all around my dark room, as if there was someone watching. Once I realized that I was alone and it was safe, I slowly reached my hands down to my boxers and started to stroke my crotch while looking at pictures of Adam. The friction between my crotch and hand grew hotter and hotter. The sensation was amazing.

“Adam…fuck…Adam…” I groaned, imagining him the one stroking my crotch. I reached inside my boxers and pulled out my cock, which was incredibly hard. I stroked it vigorously, imaging Adam being the one getting me off. I couldn’t deal with this anymore.

“Ohhh….Adam….oh god….fuck….”

I was in ecstasy. My body was flaming with passion. I needed this. No girl has made me feel this way. “Aghhhh!” I screamed, coming on my stomach. I was breathing heavily, unsure of what the hell just happened.

“Ahem.”

I froze.

Shit.

Nick.


	4. Meeting Adam

Awkward silence filled the room. I could only see the outlines of Nick’s face because of the florescence of the computer screen. I had no idea what to say. But my question is, what the hell was he doing here?

“I thought you left,” I said shakily. Nick was still staring at me, glued to his position at my door.

“I forgot to give you something.” His voice was cold. Even more emotion was drained from it than usual.

“So you decided to barge into my room?” I asked, my voice gaining a bit more power, but still shaking. I tried to cover myself up hastily, having no luck. I almost dropped my laptop on the ground. “Crap…” I said under my breath. Nick started to walk towards me, slowly. It was almost like he was going to kill me. Knowing “the serious Nick” that was definitely a possibility.

“I don’t even know what to do with you.” Finally Nick spoke. He turned on the lights, my eyes hurting from the sudden brightness. He found a chair in my room, and sat down. Still wearing his coat and rubbing his hands together, he looked down at the floor for a few minutes, and finally his eyes, more like daggers, stabbed through me.

“It amazes me Joe. You feel like you can’t tell me anything. And I have to walk in on….you getting off.” I blushed and turned my head away from him.

“I’m sorry, Nick. I didn’t want you to see me like this!” I said, half joking, trying to lighten the mood a little. I put my hands up to my face, rubbing my temples. All Nick could do was stare at me.

“Joe, this isn’t funny.” Nick said, matter-of-factly.

“It isn’t to you! You never lighten up. So what if I was…doing that. You wouldn’t of known if you didn’t barge in.” I cocked my eyebrow. “What did you need to give me, anyway?” Nick turned his head. He stared into space for a few seconds, looked at me, and rose from the chair. Walking to my bedroom door, he paused before fully exiting.

“I didn’t have anything to give you.” He smiled a little, frowned again, and walked out, shutting the lights off. I was in the dark, astonished, wet, and absolutely exhausted.

Nick came back to talk with me. And I had to be doing that, didn’t I?

Adam Lambert, you are a devil in disguise, and I haven’t even met you yet. I fall onto my cold pillow, not caring about my stomach or the whereabouts of my computer.

.............................

The morning was bittersweet. I really should have taken a shower last night. “Uuughhh.” I tried to pry myself from my bed, the room cold, but me…still hot as hell. I yawned and stretched as far as I could. Making sure not to step on Winston, I almost do a full on leap over him to the bathroom.

Shhhhhhhhhh of the shower calmed me. Turning it on and watching it smoke, inhaling the steam, made me feel a bit better. I still felt like I had a rock in my throat and a knot in my heart. I stepped into the shower, standing there momentarily; just soaking in the scalding drops, letting them hit my skin, almost as a punishment.

While shampooing my hair, my thoughts ran wild. The whole thing with Nick…it was embarrassing to say the least. I probably scarred him for life, poor kid. My mind wandered to Adam again…he still hasn’t texted me about…what day is it?

Done with my shower, I almost leap out in realization; today was Saturday. I checked my iPhone on my dresser, me only wearing a towel, dripping all over my carpet. There were more things to worry about then soaking the floor.

I saw a text pop up that was sent early this morning.

 _Hey! This is adam if u didn’t know. How about 8pm tonight at this fresh new restaurant in town? Perfect place for a meeting. ;)_

The winky face killed me. I almost dropped my towel. I checked the time. It was only 10 in the morning. Plenty of time to freak out. I texted him back:

 _Sounds great. I look forward to it._

I debated on whether or not to use a winky face too. But that’s just pushing it. Seconds later, another text from him pops up.

 _Sweet. Can’t wait to meet u._

I didn’t have a reply to that, so leaving it be was my best bet. I dressed in what I thought was my best clothing to wear for this….”meeting”. I know it’s not until tonight, but I was anxious. Biting my lip, I looked through my closet at the endless possibilities. Being a rock star meant that you can have as many clothes as you can buy. The downside to that is, whenever you want to go out, it’s incredibly difficult to choose exactly what to wear. I settled on my tightest black jeans, a stripped undershirt with a black vest. Simple yet stylish.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I could barely recognize myself anymore. I started to make faces and act goofy to try to lighten my mood. It helped to a point. I dragged myself out of my room, calling Winston to come with me.

“Winston! C’mere boy! Time for a walk.” I love how gushy I get over him. I feel like an idiot, but he likes it, and when he’s happy, I’m happy. Winston has been a great pet to me, so why not return the favor? Putting on his leash, as distracted by my thoughts that I was, we exited the house. The sun was burning bright, my eyes took a while to adjust. Winston was bouncing everywhere, doing his business around the yard. He was so happy and carefree. Sometimes I wish I were a dog. He’s got the good life. I chuckled to myself as Winston started to trot away after a butterfly. Ah, the life of a dog.

By the time we came back into the house, it was noon. I went into the kitchen and made myself a turkey sandwich with some water. I sat down on the couch, chomping on the bread. I sipped my water, almost gulping it. I didn’t realize how thirsty I was. Winston came over to me, his eyes full of want.

“You can’t have this,” I laughed, “It’s not for you.” Winston’s eyes looked sad. I laughed and gave in, giving him a piece of turkey from the inside. “There you go, you spoiled dog.” Winston trotted away happily chewing on the turkey. I smiled genuinely for the first time in days. My anxiety subsided for a little. My phone started to vibrate on the table. I picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Uh, hey, Joe?”

My heart stopped. It was Adam. Play it cool, Joe. I took a deep breath, away from the phone, and returned, less anxious but still shaking.

“What’s up?”

“Do you mind if we move our meeting to earlier today? Say, 1ish or so? We can still go out to eat.” He paused. “If you have eaten though, it’s fine.” He huffed into the phone. Why did I find that adorable.

“All I’ve really eaten is a turkey sandwich. Wouldn’t really call it a lunch. My dog ate half of it.” I laughed into the phone. I could hear Adam laugh on the other end.

“Haha okay. How about I pick you up? Is your house number 104?” I fall off of the couch. I need to start Velcroing myself to my furniture.

“Yeah. Why?”

I could almost hear Adam smirk on the other end.

“Maybe you should look outside.” I run over to my door and pull it open quickly. There he was, in the flesh, standing next to his very expensive sports car.

“Hey,” Adam said, simply. He started to walk over to my door, every footstep becoming louder and louder in my head. By the time he reached me, I had to look up. He was extremely tall. I was not expecting that.

“Hi. You’re….tall.” Smooth.

“And you’re short,” Adam retorted, eyes smirking. I couldn’t stop looking at him. The pictures on the Internet did not do him justice. I suddenly started to feel guilty. For what I did last night...to his picture….I shook my head.

“So…are you ready to go?” Adam asked, smiling at me. I looked down at my feet, making sure I was wearing pants. It’s happened before. I am not letting that happen again.

“Yeah, just give me a minute.” Adam nodded, and I left him at my door. I could see out of the corner of my eye Winston walking over to Adam and letting him pet him on the head. Winston has a hard time with company, so this was surprising. I smiled to myself, grabbed my keys and wallet from the counter, put food and water in Winston’s bowls, and almost skipped out of the door.

“Ready.” I smiled at Adam, locking the house. He smiled back, waving bye to Winston before I shut the door, and put his arm around my shoulder, giving me a side-hug while we walked.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you! A Jonas brother! This is so exciting.”

The amazing thing about this was, I couldn’t hear any hints of sarcasm.


	5. Splash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry this took so long. I just finished my first year at college, so finals were a hassle. Here is Chapter 5! The next chapter should be done accordingly, since I have the summer. I will be working, but I have the weekends, so. :3 Please enjoy! I'm glad you are sticking with me so far! I might be twisting this into a different direction, as the end of the chapter kind of insinuates. I don't know. XD Thanks again, and enjoy the date! Um...meeting. ;)

Adam drove like a madman. I didn’t expect him to abide by the speed limit: no one really does. But Adam? It’s like we were on NASCAR and he was competing for first prize.

We arrived at our destination. I almost jumped out of the car out of relief, my heart beating and me, breathing heavily. Adam smirked, his eyes shining.

“You okay?” I nodded, trying to breathe normally again.

“Do you know how to drive?” I threw my arms up over dramatically, mostly kidding, somewhat serious. “You almost…” huff “…got us into an accident. I felt like I was going to die!” Adam fake-pouts and crosses his arms.

“Of course I know how to drive, mom. Geez.” He laughed, his smile dazzling in the California sun. I had to turn my head away from him, as my face flushed a deeper shade or red. Adam walked, more like strutted, over to me, and rested his hand on my shoulder.

“We didn’t die, did we? So chill out, Joe.” Adam’s features softened as he looked at me. We gazed at each other for a second. I shook his hand off of my shoulder, and started to walk away from the car.

“Joe, wait!”

SPLASH.

Water. I thrashed around, the wet ruining my clothing and my cell phone. Fan-fucking-tastic.

And all Adam could do was laugh.

“Adam, what the hell?!” I was too caught up in Adam and his stupidly mesmerizing eyes that I did not notice we were standing on a dock. I then realized that Adam drove on said dock, and parked on it. I don’t know what to think of him at this point.

I screamed up at him from the water. I tried to splash him, but he was very flexible for a man his height. I shook my head, droplets traveling across my face. I felt like a wet dog. I started to swim towards my godsend, some wooden stairs, and climbed them, me soaking wet, my face red, and Adam half amused and half concerned. But he was mostly amused.

“I’m sorry about that,” Adam said through hysterics, “But you have to admit, that was more of an ice-breaker than anything.” His stupid smirk traveled across his face again. I wanted to punch him and hug him at the same time. I went for the punching.

“Ouch! That wasn’t very nice.” Now it was my turn to laugh.

“How in the world did that hurt?” I scoffed jokingly. He pouted again, this time more of a puppy dog face. I gave in and patted the place where I punched him. This was getting awkward incredibly fast. Seriously. I’ve known the guy for a half an hour and it feels like we’re…you know…I shook my head.

“Well, we should probably get down to business then,” Adam suggested. Oh yeah…right. We were here to discuss the duet. This isn’t a date, as much as it seemed like it. My clothes felt dry in a matter of minutes, thanks to the blazing sun above our heads. Adam and I had to walk a bit to the nearest picnic table on the beach. The urge to grab his hand kept eating away at me, but I refrained. I was moving too quickly, and besides, as I have to keep saying, I’ve only known him for thirty minutes…maybe a bit longer, and this was for business.

Adam sat down across from me, the sun glistening off of what skin was showing. I think I could make out some freckles. I cleared my throat. Shit. I didn’t have anything to write information down.

“It’s okay,” Adam reached into his pocket, and brought out a small journal and a pencil, “I’ve got this one. Even if you did have one, it would have been soaking wet.” He laughed, and I glared at him.

“So…” I tried to start the conversation, “You were on American Idol, right?”

Adam’s eyes seemed to glow darker at the mention of that question.

“I shouldn’t of asked, I’m sorry.” I bent my head down in embarrassment. He tried to smile, sadness moving across his eyes this time.

“It’s fine, you didn’t know.” Adam fiddled with his thumbs. “I was on Idol, yes. I got second place in the competition.” I was shocked.

“Second place? Seriously? With your voice?” I was a little too enthusiastic, but it seemed to pick up his spirits.

“Haha, well, I knew they wanted a more generic sounding family friendly artist to win, and trust me, I am not family friendly,” Adam shook his head, “So I kind of saw it coming.” He looked off into the distance again.

“Were you friends with the winner?” I don’t know why I needed to know, but something tells me that there was more to this Idol competition than Adam was letting on.

“Yes. You could say that.” That was all Adam said. I decided to drop the subject and keep talking about my album, the songs, and making goofy faces during the conversation to lighten him up. He retaliated, goofy as well. He was a great guy, funny, handsome, and incredibly talented. I could feel myself falling for him every second. We started to drift closer and closer as the conversation ensued.

Before we came close, the sharks emerged from nowhere. Adam was cool, flipped the cameras off, and grabbed my hand. We ran to his car on the dock, pushing past paparazzi and avoiding questions. Slamming the doors shut, Adam drove away with a loud SCREECH. Just made it. My heart was pounding.

“That was close,” Adam said through heavy breathing. I shook my head in agreement, trying to catch my own breath. Working out has its benefits, but for some reason, I had trouble breathing.

“What the fuck. How did they know we would be there?!” I was angry, still breathless. Adam’s expression remained calm. I tried to be angry, but there was something about him that calmed me down.

“It’s okay, Joe. We were just having a meeting.” He was starting to piss me off.

“Okay, yeah, to us we know it’s a meeting, but to them…who knows what they would do! My reputation…” I stiffened. Adam seemed to too, his expression tense.

“I didn’t mean…I’m sorry. I just met you and…I’m such a douche.” I put my hand up to my face. Without saying a word, Adam put one of his hands on mine and started to stroke it, reassuring me almost. I felt a tingle down my spine.

“I can’t wait to work with you,” Adam looked away from the wheel for a split second and smiled at me, eyes still a little hurt. I smiled back, nervous.

Adam brought me home. It was starting to get dark. I hadn’t realized how long we were talking for. I got out of the car, not noticing that Adam did too.

I rubbed the back of my head, my thoughts spinning. I’m such an asshole.

I took the keys out of my pocket, trying to open the door, my hands shaking.

“Here, let me help you with that.” Adam’s breath on my neck was enough to make my skin crawl with anticipation. My breath became irregular as he put his hand on mine, turning the knob. The door opened to a dark house, Winston not in sight. I turned around to shake Adam’s hand. He put his out reluctantly, shook my hand, and pulled me in for a hug. I could hear and almost feel his heartbeat.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Adam said, matter-of-factly, with a hint of hurt and command. He left abruptly, honking the horn as he left. I stood there, paralyzed. Winston popped his head out of the door.

“Get back in the house, you silly dog.” I smiled small, scared, and feeling like I swallowed a weight and it’s stuck in my chest.

I looked down at my phone. Realizing it’s fried; I made plans to go get it fixed.

I started to feel sick.

I have to call someone. Anyone.

Walking over to the kitchen, Winston tagged along behind me, his tail wagging, begging to be fed. I reached into the cabinet, pulled out the dog food, and poured it in his bowl. He had enough water. Okay…. okay.

Taking my landline, I start dialing Nick’s number. Kevin has been busy lately with his wife, so I thought it wouldn’t be right to disturb him. The dial tone kept ringing. No answer.

Shit. I was going to be all over the newspapers with Adam. Was it good publicity? I have no idea.

My chest heaved. I started to cough uncontrollably. I must have gotten sick from being in the water too long. Yeah, right. But my coughing started to become worse and worse. I held my chest, took some cough medicine, and thought I should just go to bed.

I have to start recording Monday.


	6. A thud, a Phone Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I first want to say how sorry I am for taking so long. I had two jobs over the summer working 6 days a week...no time at all. BUT. I had time to write a litte here and there. I'm sorry this chapter might be short, but it's what I can give you. The other chapters will be coming along, just at a slower pace.
> 
> Again, I apologize for my absence, and I hope you enjoy. :)

Waking up the next morning was tougher than usual. I ached all over. My head pounded, my heart heavy, my mind in shambles. Yesterday really took a toll on me. I haven’t had that much excitement since we were touring, and 12 year old girls were trying to rip my shirt off to sell it on Ebay.

“Heh,” I chuckled to myself, my breath feeling shallow, I heaved a couple of coughs. I cannot be sick. I CANNOT be fucking sick. Pounding my chest, I tried to calm my coughs down. Realizing that I indeed WAS fucking sick with god knows what, I decided to stay home. I couldn’t work out, which sucks.

All I strive for is to be healthy.

I slowly got up from my bed, my back aching incredibly. I almost screamed out in pain. Keeping my teeth clenched, I walked over to the door, making sure to step over Winston, who was happily snoring on the floor. I reached the kitchen, where I kept the medicine for my cough. I had to check if I could take it, since I took it so late last night.

“All good,” I whispered to myself, “At least I have a day to rest.” I tried to think positive. Maybe if I just rest all day and do nothing, this will go away. I can’t deal with this parasite. I don’t even want to know what I have, or how I got it (even though I have a good idea).

The lights were still off, the curtains drawn. I had no idea what time it was. The empty kitchen invited shadows to creep on the balls of my feet. I walked slowly, avoiding them, clutching my chest whenever I would cough. I looked at the counter; upon it was my broken cell phone, a piece of me, and my conveyer of information. At least I still had the Internet. But, how will Adam contact me? I cannot believe that is my first thought.  
Winston was still snoring, lazy dog. I could hear him from my place in the kitchen. Down the narrow hallway, I strode lazily, the darkness consuming me. Poetry became my thoughts. I felt high almost.

I decided to crawl back into bed. The laptop hummed happily, waiting for me to open it up and play. I sat for a couple of minutes, staring into the darkness. Only one light shone through the curtains, illuminating my jacket on the chair across from my bed. Giving into the haunting hum, I picked up the laptop carefully, opening it, the light shining bright, almost blinding me. Squinting and adjusting, I opened Google, for no apparent reason. But it seems customary when opening a laptop. I took a look at the news first. My breath seemed to shorten even more, eyes wide, pulse quickening. Reason:

A headline in particular caught my eye.

“Middle Jonas spotted with Glam Rocker Glambert: Suspicion arises.”

This is what I was afraid of. My hands shook, sweat started to trickle down my cheek. Should I look? Before I could think, the mouse clicked on the article. I swallowed, my adam’s apple bobbing up and down my throat; I noticed it was there more so than I ever have.

“Middle Jonas spotted with Glam Rocker Glambert: Suspicion arises.”

L.A.—Joe Jonas, who is currently working on a new album, was spotted chatting with Glam Rocker, Adam Lambert. We are just as confused as most of our readers. The pair is quite eccentric. Our cameras got up close and personal, taking animated pictures of the two of them, talking with their hands, laughing, and Joe making some interesting glances at Lambert.

What we all want to know is, what is going on between the two singers? Are they merely working together, or is there something more going on? On our part, it looked more like a date than a business meeting.

Stay tuned for more on this story as it unfolds. What is going on with Joe Jonas?

I didn’t know what to think after reading. My eyes hurt, my brain hurt, my heart hurt; what. the. hell.

I slammed the laptop shut, too consumed in my emotions to do anything. The ceiling looked interesting, shadows dancing again, as if inviting me. How

I would like to join them, get away from this fucking world…I clenched my chest again, coughing violently…and be who I want to be.

Another thought crossed my head.

Adam was completely uptight about American Idol. Being the curious george that I was, I decided to do a little investigation. Typing it in the search bar, slowly, I searched “American Idol Adam Lambert” to see what would pop up.

Of course, beautiful pictures of Adam emerged, which threw me off track. Shaking my head, I got my initiative back, and searched around for an article of some sort. After a few minutes of searching through pictures, stories, gossip blogs, so forth, I came across a headline that made my jaw drop:

“American Idol Winner: Dead By His Own Hand”

I immediately clicked the link. At the top of the page was a picture of Adam, but with him was a shorter, very cute, man. He had light brown, short and straight hair. He smiled wide, his head on Adam’s chest, tears running down his cheeks. This must have been when he won Idol. Perusing further, I began to read the article.

"Kris Allen, 26 years old, a tragedy. His body was found in his home, Arkansas. There were no signs of struggle, just a bottle of pills laying next to his body. Police investigated that Kris overdosed. Why this American Idol winner would do it? Nobody knows. His family is baffled, knowing Kris as a happy-go-lucky singer-songwriter with a bright future. He was last seen with his boyfriend, and fellow Idol alum, Adam Lambert. Did something go on between them? Why did Kris Allen kill himself? We may never know. Stay tuned for any updates regarding this case. R.I.P. Kris Allen, and god bless his family and friends."

He killed himself.Kris killed himself.

I slammed the computer shut. The room was darker than it was before, the little bit of light departed, leaving pitch black as the primary source of sight. No shadows. No snoring. No sound. Just the beating of Joe’s heart. No wonder Adam didn’t want to talk about it….shit. My thoughts were interrupted by the obnoxious kitchen phone.

BRING BRING

I didn’t want to answer it. Knowing that I probably had to, I got up slowly, trying to pry myself out of bed. If it was Adam, it was important.

BRING BRING

"Fucking phone."

BRING BRING

“I’m coming! I’m com---“ I realized that I was talking to the phone. It wouldn’t answer me back.

My eyes widened.

My chest heaved.

Black.

A thud.

Last I heard was a phone ring.

Last I saw was a drop of blood on the floor.


End file.
